Toy rifle



(No Model.) zlsheets-shet 1. W. C. MAYNARD.

TOY RIFLE.

No. 3?1,850. Patented ont. 18, 1887.

N. PETERS, Fhntfrlithogrnpher, Washington (IV (No Model.) -2sheets-sheet 2.

TOY RIFLE.

.Zgymrz 3.7 I

' Fig. 7 is a section of the. same.

AUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM O. MAYNARD, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS.

TOY RIFLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,850, dated October18. 1887. Application filed August 9, 1857. Serial No. 246,522. (Nomodel.)

.T0 LH whom it 11mg concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM-C. MAYNARD, a citizenof the United States,residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Toy Rifles, of which thefollowing is a specication.

My invention relates to a toy rifle, and it consists in a certain novelconstruction and arrangement of parts, fully set forth hereinafter, andspecifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 isa side view of the rifle. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section thereof. Fig. 8 is a transverse section on the linewir, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line y y, Fig. 2. Fig.v5-is a detail View of the safety firing-cap. Fig. 6 is a similar Viewofthe tiringpin to take the place of the tiring-cap. Fig. 8 is a detailsection of the ordinary shell used. Fig. 9 is avi-ew of another form ofshell used. Fig. 10 is a detail view of the detaining-spring to hold theshells in place while firing. Fig. 11

is a detail View of the hold for drawing thev hammer back to the cockedposition. y

Referring by letter to the drawings, Adesiguates the stock of the rifle,having the ordinary butt, A', and a is a recess formed in the lower sideof the stock near the butt, for a purpose to be explained. At the frontend of the stock, on the upper side thereof, are secured the brackets BB', which comprise the portion b above the stock, in which is formed -acircular opening, b', and the depending ears b2 b2 pass down on oppositesides of the stock and are secured thereto by screws. The front bracket,B, is provided on the upper side of the main portion b with a sight, b3,which coinprises the front sight of the riile. As before stated,circular openings are formed in the main portions of the brackets, andthese openings are aligned; and C designates the barrel of the ride,which is passed through these aligned openings, and is provided on therear end with the peripheral annular flange c to bear against the rearside of the bracket B', to prevent the barrel from being forced throughthe same during firing. The said barrel is bored in the ordinary manner,and is counterbored at the rear end or provided with an enlargement ofthe bore, as seen at c', to receive the shell which is to be fired.

D designates a bracket similar in shape to the bracket B', and securedto the stock in the same manner.

E represents a groove or slot bored in the rear portion of the stock,and F represents the ring lrod or hammer, passed at the rear end in thesaid slot and guided at the front end in the circular opening in thebracket D.

G designates a thumb-hold, comprising a flat plate of metal provided atone end with a circular opening, g, which is adapted to" receive the rodF, and the said hold is secured rigidly to the desired point of the rod(close in rear of the bracket D when the rod is projected forwardly) bythe set-screw G', which pinges at the inner end against the side of therod F.

H designates a coiled spring around the rod F, bearing at the rear endagainst the stoolnaround the end of the slot E therein, and at the frontend against the rear side of the thumb hold around the opening therein.It will be readily seen that the tendency of the spring is to press therod forwardly; and as the spring is designed to be very powerful, if therod is drawn back against the power of the same and then released, therod Wiil be very violently projected forward.

I designates the engaging-spring of the device, comprising a thinangle-plate of spring metal, the horizontal arm i of which rests alongthe under side of the stock near the rear end, and is secured at thefront end to the same by the screw or bolt J, while the vertical arm i2of which projects up into the recess a in the under side of the stock,and also through the vertical opening c', which comlnunicates therewithand with the slot or groove E, and the extremity of the said verticalarm is adapted when the rod F is drawn back to engage in the annulargroove f, formed inthe said rod.` Therefore when the rod F is drawn backthe upper extremity of the engaging-spring engages the same in theretracted position and holds it thus.

K designates the trigger, comprising an angle-bar which is pivoted atthe angle thereof to the side of the recess a, and is adapted to engageat the forward end of the horizontal arm k thereof in the aperture i inthe vertical arm of the engagingspring,whereby when is secured in theend of the said hold and imy ICO the lower end of the vertical arm 7c isdrawn v rearwardly the vertical arm of the engagingspring will be drawndown and release the firing-rod.

L designates the triggerguard, comprising theloop Z,Which extends underthe trigger, the short ear m, which is perforated to receive a screw tobe secured in the stock, and the arm m, which projects forwardly fromthe front end of the loop Zand bears against the under side of thehorizontal arm z' of the spring I, and is secured at the front end bythe screw or bolt J, which secures the front end of the said spring inplace.

M designates the rear sight of the rifle, which comprises the verticalarms N N,which are secured to the sides of the stock, and the horizontalcross-piece N at the upper-ends of the said arms. To the upper side ofthe said cross-piece are secured the vertical standards or lugs (theymay be formed integral with the said cross-piece) O O, the lug O beingprovided with a smooth opening to align with the threaded opening in thelng O; and P designates a horizontal bar passed through the said alignedopenings, one end of the bar turning in the opening in the lug O, Whilethe other end is threaded to screw into the threaded opening in the lugO. An annular groove (Vshaped) is formed in the bar between the lugs,and a slot is formed in the smooth end of the bar to receive ascrew-driver, and it will be seen that to adjust the sight it is onlynecessary to move the sight-bar horizontally by turning the same. Itwill be understood that the smooth endv ofthe bar (its snugly in thesmooth opening in the lug O, so that there is no play whatever.

To bind the barrel securely in its place in the brackets B B, I providethe set-screw R, which is threaded at the extremity and passes upthrough an opening in the stock and screws into a threaded alignedopening, b, in the bracket communicating with the circular opening btherein, and impinges at the upper end against the under side ofthebarrel.

S designates the nipple which is preferably used in this rifle, which isprovided with an annular flange, s, to bear against the rear end of thebarrel, while the main body s' thereof (containing the chamber si)passes into the recess or enlargement c'. The rear end of the nipples isprovided with a projection, S', adapted to have an ordinary ring orpercussion cap placed thereover.

T designates the safety tiring-cap, having a slot, t, in the side togive the rear end 'thereof a spring action to clamp the front end of therod F when placed thereon, the front edge of the said cap projecting outbeyond the front end of the rod to receive the nipple and percussion-capthereon to prevent the latter from scattering when exploded. An annulardent,

t', is formed around the safety-cap to make a rib on the inside thereofto fit in the annular groove t7', formed in the front end of the rod F.It will be seen that this safety firing-cap is detachable, as it is onlynecessary to overcome the strength of the spring action of the rear endof the cap (which holds the rib in the groove of the rod F) to removethe same.

Fig. 9 shows a form of nipple which may be used in this rifle, and whichin outward ap pearance is the same as the form just described, exceptthat instead of having the projection on the rear end it is extended ontat the same diameter as the body of the barrel and provided at the rearend with a depression or recess to receive an ordinary primer, such asare used on ordinary shotgunshells. When the latter form of nipple isused, the tiring-cap T is removed from the end of the firingrod and thefringpin U is placed thereon instead. The said firing-pin comprises asleeve, U', formed in a similar manner to the cap T,Whch fits on thefront end of the rod F, and in the front end of the said sleeve issecured the pin U2, adapted to strike against the primer on the nipple.This device is very simply and strongly constructed, being designedespecially for use as a toy, and therefore adapted to stand rough usage.

The bracket M, which supports the rear sight of the rifle, is, as willbe understood, so arranged as not to interfere with the operation of therod F andthe spring around the same.

The feature of the adjustable rear sight is very important, and I laygreat stress on the same. The Vshaped groove, as will be understood,forms the sight, and as the bar in which the groove is formedislongitudinally adjustable the sight is laterally adj ustable, and asthe groove extends entirely around the bar the rotation of the same toadjust the sight does not impair its effectiveness.

Vhen the cap is placed in the recess in the rear end of the nipple,there is a liability that it will drop out before it is fired, and toprevent this I provide the detaining-spring V. It is an ordinaryleaf-spring, secured at the rear end to the upper side of the stockunder the firing-rod F, and turned up at an angle at the front end tobear against the annular flange of the shell. The extreme edge of thesaid npturned portion V is beveled laterally, and as the spring is swungaround its pivot 12 to engage with the shell the beveled portion slidesunder the nipple of the latter and the front end of the spring ispressed down. When it is desired to remove the cap, the front end of thespring is turned around out of the way and the cap drawn out with thenger.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-` 1. The combination of thestock having a rear socket, E, the short barrel C, mounted on theforward top side thereof, and the elongated spring-actuated firingrod Fon the outer top portion of the said stock, the rear portion of Which ismounted and has movement in the socket E and the forward end thereofadapted to engage with the rear of the barrel, substantially asdescribed.

IOO

IIO

` openings b' b' therein, the sight b3 onthe upper side of the forwardbracket, the barrel C, secured in the said openings b' and having therecess c' in the rear end to receive the nipple, the bracket D, securedto the stock and having an opening, d', therein to align with .thegroove or slot E, the tiring-rod F, operating in the said alignedopening and slot, spring H, coiled around the said rod to operate thesame, the bracket M, secured to the stock near the rear end and carryingthe rear sight, and

means, substantially as described, to lock the firing-rod back in thecocked position and release the same when desired, substantially asspecified. l

3. In a fire arm, the combination, with the stock having the stationaryfront sight, of the standards or lugs O O', having, respectively, smoothand threaded openings therein, and the horizontal bar P, adapted to fitsnugly in the smooth opening at one end and having'a threaded end toscrew into the threaded opening, the said bar having a V-shaped annulargroove therein between the said standards, the bar being adapted to bescrewed to the right or left to adjust the sight or V- shaped groove,substantially as specilicd.

4. In a tire-arm, the combination, withvthe stock A, brackets B B',secured to the upper side thereof and having aligned openings therein,sight b5 on the forward of the said brackets, barrel C, secured in thesaid aligned openings, thefringrod mounted in suitable guides on theupper side of the stock, and means, substantially as described, foroperating the said rod, of the bracket M, havingv the depending arms toembrace the tiring-rod and secured at the lower ends-to the sides ot'the stock, the vertical lugs or standards O'O' 4on the upper side of thebracket, having aligned openings therein, one of which is smooth and theother threaded, and the bar P, provided at one end with .a threadedportionv to screw into the threaded opening andl adapted to bear attheother end in the smooth opening, the said bar being also provided withthe annular groove near the center, forming the rear sight, and thegroove or slot across one end to receive the edge of a screw-driver, allconstructed and ar.- ranged substantially as and for the purposehereinbefore set forth.

5. The combination, with the frontend of the stock A, of the brackets BB', secured' thereto and projecting above the top edge thereof andformed with aligned openings therein, the short barrel C, secured in thealigned openings of said brackets on the top side of the stock A, theadjusting-screw It, mounted in connection with the front bracket, B, theelongated spring-actuated firing-rod F, the guide G, and the combinedsight and guide M, mounted on the top side of the stock in the rear ofthe barrel C and supporting the tiringrod F, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the stock A, of the short barrel' C, arrangedon the forward top side thereof, the elongated spring-actuatedtiring-rod F, arran ed on the top edge of the tock and in a so et, E,and having a groove,

7 jection adapted to engage with the groove f, andthe trigger K,substantially as described.

7. In a ride, the combination,with the stock, the barreksecurcd thereon,the tiring-rod F, guided in suitable bearings on the said stock, andmeans, substantially vas described, for operating the said rod, of thedetachable safety firingeap T, adapted to receive the front end of therod F and project out beyond the front end ofthe same to receive thepercussion-cap when the latter is fired, to prevent scattering of thesame, the said cap being provided with the slot t in the side to givethe same a spring action to clamp the end of the rod F, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

8. In a ride, the combination, with the stock A, barrel C, securedthereon, and the iring-rod adapted to be operated, substantially asdescribed, to strike against the rear end of the barrel, of thefiring-pin U, comprising the sleeve U', to receive the front end of therod and having a slot in the side, and the pin U, secured in the frontend of the said sleeve, substantially as and for the'purpose specified.9. In a ride, the combination, with the stock A, the barrel C, securedthereon, and the ringrod F, mounted in suitable guides on the upper sideof the stock, and means, substantially as described, to operate thesame, of the springdetent V, pivoted at therear end tothe upper side ofthe stock and having the bent-np portion V' at the front` end, providedwith the beveled edge, which is adapted to bear against the rear end ofthe nipple or cap-holder when inserted in the barrel in firing position.to hold the same in place, substantially as specifiedf 10. In a ride,the combination, with the stock A, having the recess a near the rear endin the under side and the' groove or slot E, the bar- Y rel C, securedto the front end of the stock,

and the bracket D, having a circular guideopening therein aligning withthe groove E, of the rod F, mounted in the groove E and the opening inthe bracket, stop or hold G, secu red on the rod, the spring H, coiledaround the said rod and bearing at the opposite ends, re-

spectively, against the stock forward of the `hole orchamber Ethereinand the rear side of the stop G, the rod having an annulargroove, f, therein near the rear end, the engagingspring I, secured tothe stock and projecting up into the groove E to engage in the groove fin the rod F, and the angle-trigger K, engaging with the said spring andadapted when drawn back todraw the upper end of the same down out ofengagement with the ring-rod, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

11. In a ride, the combination,with the stock A, having the recess a inthe rear end, the barrel C, secured to the stock, and thespring-actuated iiringrod F, having the annular groove f near the rearend, of the spring I', comprising the horizontal arm z', secured at theextremity' to'the under side of the stockTand the vertical spring-armi2, projecting up through theecess a to engage with the groove f, thesaid' arm having the aperture i therein, and the trigger K, comprisingthe horizontal arm 7c, engaging in the aperture i, and the vertical a'rmk', adapted to be drawn rearwardly to draw the vertical arm ofthe springIdownwardly, substantially as speci e 12. In afirearm, the combination,with the stock A, having the barrel C secured thereon, adapted tohavethe cartridge or shell inserted in the rear end thereof, of thefiring-rod F, means7 substantially as described, to move the samelongitudinally to strike at the front end against the rear end of thebarrel, the front end of the rod being provided with the annular groovet, and the firing-pin U, comprising the sleeve U', adapted to fit overthe front end of the ring-rod and having the slot in the side thereofand the rib on the inside to engage in the said groove t, and the pinU2, secured rigidlyin the front end of the said sleeve and adapted tostrike against the cartridge or shell, all constructed and arrangedsubstantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aixed mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

' WILLIAM C. MAYNARD.

Witnesses:

\ J. R. TUCKER,

W. H. DOWNING.

